The Ultimatum
by raspberry truffles
Summary: This is a one shot about how the ultimatum might be resolved.I'm sure it won't happen this way, but this is how I would write it.


Disclaimer These are not my characters they are the property of As The World Turns and their owners. No infringement is intended, this is not written for profit.

This is based on the preview for tomorrow's episode where Luke finds out about the ultimatum from Bob. This is what I imagine should happen, but I am pretty sure it will not go down this way. I hope that you like this story. Thanks to everyone for their feedback so far.

Luke had been trying to track down Reid for a couple of days but he couldn't manage to get a hold of him. Where can he be and why is he avoiding me now? Luke wondered. Luke sighed as he realized that he was going to have to try and find Reid at the hospital. He hoped that he didn't run into Bob he was still feeling embarrassed about Bob walking in on Luke and Reid. It could have been worse, he reminded himself, imagine if we had been naked. Awkward!

Luke was curious to find out what Bob had wanted to talk to Reid about. He was relieved when Bob had given him an easy way out of that uncomfortable situation, but he thought that Reid will contact him and fill Luke in on the details. So far there had only been silence from Reid. It was time to get some answers to these questions.

Luke walked into the hospital and who was the first person that he saw, why none other than Bob Hughes. Great just what I wanted he groaned inwardly. Kim was with Bob so Luke really hoped that Bob had forgotten about what he had witnessed between Luke and Reid. "Hi Bob, how are you?" Luke inquired politely.

"I'm fine Luke, what brings you to the hospital today?" Dr. Bob asked.

Just then Luke noticed Reid standing with his back to Luke talking on his cell phone. I see his phone is still working, he thought sarcastically to himself. Realizing that Bob was looking at him expectantly and expecting an answer Luke quickly replied "I just came by to have a word with Dr. Oliver."

"You're here to see Dr. Oliver, Luke?" Bob asked frowning. "Is this about the new wing, Luke?"

"Uh… no not really Bob, I just needed to speak with Dr. Oliver." Luke replied feeling like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. "Is something wrong with that?"

"Well, I am sure that you know about the ultimatum I issued to Dr. Oliver after the debacle with Mona Cross at the Lakeview." Bob intoned.

"Uh… what ultimatum was that Bob?" Luke asked feeling extremely nervous.

"I told Dr. Oliver that he could either run the new wing or have a relationship with you but he could not have both under any circumstances." Bob said sternly.

Luke's jaw dropped open, his face went purple, he couldn't speak he just turned away from Bob and grabbed an unsuspecting Reid and dragged him to Reid's office.

Bob watched this little scene and shook his head, "gee Luke looks terribly upset about this news," he said to Kim.

"What were you thinking Bob? Dr. Oliver is so obnoxious except when Luke is around, why would you take that away from him and punish everyone else?" Kim stared incredulously at her husband. "Has he been more or perhaps less pleasant since the ultimatum?"

"Well, I have to admit I have been having a tremendous amount of complaints about his attitude since I handed down his choice. I didn't realize until now that the two situations were connected. You have to understand Kim, I didn't have a choice. It is a conflict of interest to have Luke who is a major donor to the new wing involved with Reid who is in charge of the new wing. The hospital could suffer a tremendous loss, both legally and financially. Reid said that he and Luke weren't even in a relationship. I thought that was nipping it in the bud and saving a lot of grief for everyone."

"Well Bob, based on Luke's face and Reid's lovely attitude you have made an error in judgement. As for conflict of interest and scandal, hello this is Oakdale, there have been a thousand scandals and the hospital is still standing. You need to fix this Bob… quickly. Or you will be facing lawsuits and mutiny from everyone who has to deal with Dr. Oliver." He is such a man, Kim thought to herself ruefully.

Meanwhile in Dr. Oliver's office things were getting pretty heated and not in a good way!

"So, when were you going to tell me about this ultimatum? Were you just going to ignore me and hope that I went away?" Luke shouted furiously at Reid. "How could you not tell me? Do you not want to have a relationship with me?"

"Luke, calm down. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you but I honestly didn't know how to. I don't know what we are to each other and neither do you. Every time I ask you about your feelings for me I only get a vague response about me and a clear response that you are in love with Noah. You know how I feel about you because I keep telling you that I have feeling for you. So, yes Luke, I want to have a relationship with you but I am not sure that you feel the same way about me. My career is very important to me, as you know, and I don't think that I can handle throwing it away just in case you decide that you do want to be with me, only to have you run back to Noah six months down the road."

Luke was taking in everything that Reid had said and he had to admit that Reid was right. He couldn't help himself, he leaned over and kissed Reid intensely, who immediately responded and then broke free. "I don't think that we are allowed to do that Luke, no matter how much I enjoy it."

"I'm sorry, Reid I probably shouldn't have done that. I have to say that I am grateful that you have taken the time to talk to me. I do want to have a relationship with you, but I don't want you to have to sacrifice your career to be with me. That would put too much pressure on both of us and I don't think that we would survive it. We are at the very beginning of something and although I really want it to continue I know that I would choke on the guilt of having you give up running the new wing. What kind of relationship would that be for us? We would end up miserable."

"Thanks, for understanding Luke. I truly wish that I could figure out a way around Bob's ultimatum."

Luke smiled at Reid with mischief in his eyes. "Now that is what we need to do. Why doesn't Bob want us to have a relationship? Why does he even care?"

Reid sighed, "he claims that it would be a conflict of interest for us to be involved, because you are funding the new wing and I am running the new wing. Apparently we might have some dastardly plan to swindle the hospital out of its money. Truthfully, I wonder if it's because we're gay and that makes Bob uncomfortable."

"I don't think that it has anything to do with Bob being homophobic. I think that Bob is only worried about the hospital. Bob lives for the hospital. I will talk to Lucinda and figure out what the legal responsibilities of the foundation are and try to find a loophole. I only agreed to spend the foundation money on the new wing because of your passion for it and I will stop the funding if you are not part of it. Let's see how Bob feels about that."

Reid stared at Luke in stunned silence. "You would put yourself on the line for me in this way? Stop funding, just because I had to step down?" He grabbed Luke and kissed him like his life depended on it. "Okay Luke let's go talk to Bob. There is no way I am going to give you up now. I can't believe you are spending all of this money simply because you believe in me. No one has ever had that kind of faith in me…ever."

"This is why you need to talk to me when people give you ultimatums…deal?" Luke inquired with a smile.

"Deal"


End file.
